By OnMilwaukee Staff Writers   Published Jan 09, 2011 at 1:04 PM

There's never a shortage of new people, events, decisions and ideas in Milwaukee, some moving the city forward and some holding it back. In this subjective and light-hearted article, we take Milwaukee's temperature as 2011 gets rolling.

As a new year gets underway the hot and the not are already stacking up.

The Riverhorse Bar in Riverwest has re-opened with a new coat of paint and expanded seating. Former daytime talk  show host Montel Williams' marijuana pipe was hot gossip fodder after his bust at General Mitchell International Airport. A ruckus at Mayfair Mall and mall leadership's slow response drew criticism.  The Packers ended the regular season hot with a win over the hated Chicago Bears, and many analysts pick them to go deep into the NFL playoffs. And with unemployment rates higher than they've been since 2009, it looks as though the state's economy is heating up too.

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Sizzling:
Packers -- The pack ended the season with wins of top teams and are carrying momentum into the playoffs.
Classic Slice -- Bay View Pizza joint opens second location on North Ave.
Russ Feingold -- The former senator is keeping busy after losing his seat last fall landing a teaching gig at Marquette and writing a book.

Hot:
 Brew City Bruisers-- The local roller derby is bigger than ever as it kicks off another season.
Raw Milk -- The issue is heading to the legislature again where a sympathetic governor awaits.
The Brewers -- Off season moves and the Zack Grienke coup have the Crew looking hot.
Verizon Customers -- Milwaukee is among the first cities to get new faster 4G network.
Three Lions Pub -- The Shorewood pub is set to open at the old Northstar Bistro location.
Master Lock -- Nice to see jobs coming back from China for a change.
State and local politics -- A new governor in Madison and a Milwaukee County Executive race.  Let the games begin!


Warm:
Abu's -- The East Side staple is in limbo with ownership in flux but will likely return next month.
Cheap Trick's epic run -- Cheap Trick have a 12 show run slated late this month at Potawatomi's Northern Lights Theater.

Cool:
El Guapo -- The Whitefish Bay Mexican joint is done.
Wisconsin Badgers-- The Badgers got spanked by TCU and now stand to lose tailback John Clay and defensive end J.J. Watt to the NFL draft. 


Cold:
Vacant MPS buildings -- No use spending to upkeep empty buildings. 
Atremus Suarez-Eden's convictions reversed -- One man's weird saga to save Midwest Airlines comes to an end.
Montel Williams pot bust -- Got Milwaukee in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, but at least it wasn't Ricki Lake.
Wisconsin whooping cranes found dead --All these dead birds falling from the sky are making us nervous.

Sub-zero:
Brett Favre -- Ended his career fined and on the sidelines after a brutal year with that joke of a team from Minnesota.
The weather -- It was nice while it lasted but winter cold is finally here.
Mayfair Mall -- Gunshots, disruptive kids, and a slow and lackluster response may have shoppers looking elsewhere.
Homicides up 31%-- Milwaukee's increase ran counter to a national decline.